Animal rights group protests Nanticoke fur seller

DAVE SCHERBENCO / the citizens' voice
Protestor Melinda Dugan holds up a steel trap used to capture animals for their fur during the RK Furs protest in Nanticoke. About 90 countries and seven states have outlawed such traps.

NANTICOKE - Members of an area animal rights organization took part in a international campaign to end the sale of fur by protesting one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's last furriers.

Members of Voice Of The Animals, based in Chinchilla, protested Friday outside RK Furs in Nanticoke to raise awareness about the treatment of animals used to make fur goods. The protest was part of the "Fur-Free Century" international campaign.

Silvie Pomicter, president of VOTA, said activists protested all over the globe Friday as part of the campaign. She said the local group has been participating in the campaign for about the past 15 years.

Group member Melinda Dugan, wielding a cross with a steel trap attached, said the group believes their campaign has been successful. VOTA targets three Wilkes-Barre stores that sold furs in the 1990s, Balut Furs, Stein Furs and Blum Bros. all of which have now closed, Dugan added.

"It's medieval torture in the 21st century," Dugan said about the steel traps used to catch animals, adding about 90 countries and seven states have outlawed the use of the traps.

David Schaefer, owner of the family business, declined comment on the debate, but said he respected the protesters' right to state their opinion.

"They're entitled to their beliefs," he said.

Schaefer took over the family business, RK Furs in Alden, in 1986, according to The Citizens' Voice archives. RK Furs was founded in 1969 by his parents, Rose and Carl.

Dugan and Pomicter said the group is also trying to educate the public about the sale of improperly labeled faux fur clothing items and pet toys. Pomicter said that people may think they're being responsible by buying faux fur items, but need to be careful because some of those items are actually made with real fur from cats and dogs, and imported into the United States from foreign countries where the laws are lax.

"If they knew that they were wearing dog and cat fur they'd be really upset," she said.

The group was also there to collect unwanted fur items donated by supporters, which would be donated to the Humane Society's "Fur for Cubs" program. The program distributes the items to wildlife rehabilitators, who use them to comfort orphaned and injured animals.

kgaydos@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2118

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3 posted comments

This makes me sick in this day and age that people buy this these coats and now they are putting cat fur and dog fur on toys ( they come from China) In my opinion anyone walking around with a fur coat in this day and age should really look into to how it ended up on their back and they might think twice.

So I guess the hide from cows, pigs, sheep, deer and other animals are OK. It seems that the skinning of animal hide is OK if the fur is removed and the skin is made into leather. Do these people only wear rubber shoes or does that cause the green people to compalin about misuse of rubber tree plants?